1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an improved biscuit for joining adjacent boards. More specifically, the invention is an anchoring biscuit device that has the ability for pre-setting distances between adjacent boards and attaching to at least one board by means in addition to the biscuit itself. The anchoring biscuit device physically joins two adjacent boards in the same plane to a third, supporting board. The anchoring half-biscuit device joins two adjacent boards at right angles to one another. Further, the present invention anchoring biscuit includes compressive elements to accommodate swelling and expansion of boards after installation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,415, issued to the present inventor herein covers such biscuit devices having opposite side walls in the shape of arcs. These would include side walls with arcs and flat ends, side walls with arcs and arc ends, e.g. circles, ellipses, etc. The present invention covers biscuit-shaped devices with side walls that may have the same top view footprint as the Eberle U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,415 devices, and covers anchoring devices that may not have opposite arcs, and may or may not have biscuit shapes. However, all of the present invention devices do include at least one compressive element, namely, a portion of the device that will collapse or move under compression (from opposing expansion or swelling of wood).
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following patents are representative of the state of the art for wood joining devices, equipment and methods:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,184,080 to D'Arcy describes a structure of the class described, the combination of frame pieces disposed at an angle to each other and plate-like corner irons having angularly disposed flanges, said corner irons being arranged in opposed pairs on the sides of and secured to the ends of meeting frame pieces with their flanges engaging the inner edges thereof in overlapping telescoping relation to each other, the inner flanges having vertical nail slots therein and brads on their edges driven into the frame pieces, the outer flanges having nail perforations opposite the nail slots, there being nails disposed through the said perforations and slots and driven into the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,332,081 to G. M. Hunt et al is directed to a wooden panel. It is described as a panel comprising wooden strips joined along their edges with glue, each strip having at least one groove in its edge matching groove in the edge of the adjoining strip, an asbestos millboard spline fitted in the matching grooves and bridging the joint between the strips, crossbands covering the strips on both sides of the panel, and veneers covering the crossbands. U.S. Pat. No. 2,362,252 to Ellinwood describes a wall structure of the character described comprising a pair of adjacent wallboard panels having meeting edges, each of said panels being formed with a groove opening into its meeting edge, the groove in each panel providing an outer lip and an inner lip, said outer lips being in abutting relation, a joining strip permanently secured to the under surface of said outer lips, said inner lips being spaced, a T-shaped connecting member movably positioned in said groove and having a base in spaced relation to said inner lips, and means for anchoring said connecting member to a structural element.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,603 to Soderberg describes a joining staple, comprising a metal body having at least two portions extending at right angles to each other and at least two teeth carried upon each of said portions, each of said teeth consisting of a flat substantially rectangular body having a cutting edge extending substantially parallel to its body portion, the cutting edges of all of said teeth being located in one plane, each of said portions having another cutting edge extending between the teeth of that portion, the second mentioned cutting edges being also located in one plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,406,387 to Lank describes the method of constructing a plurality of wooden posts each of which has a connector element incorporated therein adjacent each end thereof which method comprises forming a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves in one side of each of a pair of wooden blanks from which the posts are to be formed, forming a transverse groove adjacent each end of said side of each of said blanks with the transverse grooves intersecting the longitudinal grooves, providing a pair of connector retaining members with a plurality of seats for receiving connector elements, the number and spacing of said seats in each of said connector retaining members conforming to the number and spacing of the longitudinal grooves in each of said blanks, placing connector elements in each of said seats, positioning said blanks with their grooved sides together and with said connector retaining members in said transverse grooves, bonding said blanks together, and severing the thus bonded assembly along longitudinal lines intermediate said longitudinal grooves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,988 to Ganner is directed to a fitting for releasably joining two structural components. It is illustrated for releasably joining two structural components particularly plate-shaped structural components which extend at a right angle relative to one another, a fitting has a preferably cylindrical locking element which can be inserted either directly in a bore in the first structural component or it can be inserted indirectly in a housing, and a holding piece with a holding projection anchored in the second structural component. In the assembled position, the holding projection & abuts against one or two gripping surfaces of the locking element which gripping surfaces are of, for example, eccentric shape, and the holding projection is pulled toward the locking element when the locking element is turned. The holding piece is constructed plate-shaped and is insertable in a slot in the second structural component.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,458 to Sparrow describes a floor composed of parallel spaced beams having flanges and blocks of polystyrene foam which are laid on the flanges to bridge the gaps between the beams. Boards are laid on the polystyrene blocks, and are supported by the blocks, which form load-bearing members of the floor. The blocks may have flanged portions extending over the beams, so as to provide heat insulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,027 to Legler et al illustrates a biscuit joiner. It is described as a biscuit joiner for cutting semi-elliptical slots in opposing edges of workpieces which are to be joined along those edges includes a housing adapted to be mounted upon the quill of a multipurpose woodworking tool, which housing encloses a rotary saw blade adapted to be attached to a spindle projecting from the quill on which the housing is mounted. A spring loaded guide projects from the front face of the housing and has a slot therethrough, so that when the front face of the guide is engaged by an edge of a workpiece to be slotted the guide can be pushed inwardly against spring pressure, allowing the rotary saw blade to be exposed and form a slot in the edge of the workpiece. Adjustable stops are provided on the guide so that a desired depth of cut will automatically be made after adjustment. An alternative construction of this biscuit joiner is especially adapted for use in conjunction with a conventional drill press, with the arbor which carries the saw blade being clamped in the chuck on the drive spindle of the drill motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,891 to Slocum describes a flooring construction which is provided having a unitary construction with a top layer providing a finished flooring surface and an insulation layer adjacent the top layer. The flooring panel includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion has a larger dimension than the lower portion and extends outwardly beyond the lower portion. A recessed portion between the upper portion and the lower portion defines a channel. A plurality of interlock support elements having a vertical web and an upper horizontal flange are arranged so that the horizontal flange extends into the channel. The vertical web extends below the lower portion to raise the flooring.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,996 to Hiller et al describes a connecting element for connecting two parts generally in a connection plane has a first portion for connecting the element relative to a first of the parts and second portion for connecting the element relative to the second part. The second portion includes actuation members which on relative movement of the parts substantially along the connection plane urge the parts forcefully towards each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,732 to Fujii et al illustrates a wood joining structure and method thereof. It is described as a technique is provided for joining wood members. A plurality of slits are formed on the end portions of wood pieces desired to be joined, and the end portions are abutted with corresponding slits in alignment to form a common surface. Each of the abutted wood end portions is fixed by temporary fixing means to a desired joining state. Thereafter, an adhesive agent is applied into the interior surfaces of the slits. Connecting plates, e.g., made of a reinforced plastic material coated with the adhesive agent, are inserted into the aligned slits. The adhesive agent is then hardened.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,433 to Stastny explicates a biscuit and joint made using same. It is described as a biscuit having octagonal outer periphery is used to form a joint between first and second workpieces. The biscuit fits within arcuate slots formed in the workpieces, with glue placed in the slots and/or on the biscuit before the joint is put together. The biscuit is made of an anhydrous compressed wood.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,117 to Fleming, III describes a bracket for mounting a rotary lock member in the frame of a panel which is provided. The bracket is a preferably U-shaped body having a base and two legs extending therefrom. The inner dimension of the bracket is chosen to allow insertion of a rotary lock member therein. Panel engaging steps and protrusions are located on the outside surface of each leg for engaging the frame material. The legs of the bracket are biased inwardly towards one another, such that when a locking member is inserted therein, the legs are pressed outwardly, driving the protrusions into the frame material. A number of bores are located in the bracket to allow supplemental locking members to lock the bracket to the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,428 to Bischof is directed to a metallic structural element for connecting workpieces consisting of wood, woodworking material or plastic. It is described as a metallic structural element for connecting workpieces consisting of wood, woodworking material or plastic, consisting of a lamellar part, which provides the non-positive connection with the first workpiece provided with a groove and a transverse hole, and a bolt-like part which, through screwing or pinning, realizes the non-positive connection with the second workpiece provided with a longitudinal hole. The lamellar part has, in the center, a hole which is at right angles to the plane of the lamella and is intended for fixing in the groove of the workpiece. Variants having a wing-like long or rectangular short lamellar part and a bolt-like part in the form of a conical wood screw, cylindrical screw, screw having a metal thread, threaded sleeve or pin. Accessories: screwing tool and drilling template.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,016 to Erwin et al describes an extruded plastic decking plank for mounting to an underlying support structure, the plank having a rigid foam core, a resilient outer plastic shell, and a clamping portion for securing the plank to the support structure. The top surface of the plank can be provided with a non-slip surface. The invention also includes an attachment system for securing such decking planks to a support structure by engaging the clamping portions of the decking planks onto clamps or hold down blocks which are secured onto the support structure, and which permit relative motion between the planks and the structure in the planks' lengthwise direction to prevent stress and buckling caused by uneven expansion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,415, to Eberle, the same inventor herein, describes an anchoring biscuit device for joining three boards. It includes, (a) a first substantially flat horizontal top element having a generally biscuit-shaped configuration, (b) at least one substantially vertical support member attached to the underside of the top element and extending downwardly therefrom for a predetermined length for joinder of two adjacent boards which have been pre-cut with biscuit receiving slots, and (c) an attachment orifice located at least on the top element for attachment of the anchoring biscuit device to a support board for anchoring and support of the two adjacent boards. In one preferred embodiment, a top bevel is included at the orifice to permit angled screwing at positions other than vertical positions. In other embodiments, the screw orifice will have an oval or elongated shape to likewise enable screwing at angles other than vertical. In yet another preferred embodiment, the orifice will both be beveled and elongated.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 470,039 to Robert Pelc shows two anchoring biscuit devices of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,415 Eberle type, one having a circular footprint and the other having an elliptical footprint.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.